Cineworld, the beleaguered London-listed global cinema group long targeted by hedge fund short sellers, has been dealt a fresh blow as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, reporting a USD1.6 billion first-half loss with revenues plummeting after theatres were forced to close.
More than USD1.6 billion of private client funding has been raised by HSBC Private Banking for so far in 2020 for hedge funds, private equity, private credit and a private REIT strategy.
With the ripple effect of Covid-19 still being felt in the global economy, investment opportunities in high yield credit, and in particular distressed credit, have been numerous as investors seek out higher yield, at a commensurate higher risk.
Hedge fund short sellers are circling Nikola Corporation, the electric vehicle and component manufacturer at the centre of fraud allegations, with the Nasdaq-listed firm’s share price tipped to tumble this week following executive chairman Trevor Milton’s sudden resignation on Sunday night (20 September).
The frantic hunt for an effective vaccine against coronavirus could leave some pharmaceutical companies highly exposed in a fiercely competitive race – and UK hedge fund Argonaut Capital is weighing in with several key bets against the sector.
Paris-based systematic hedge fund Quantology Capital Management – which trades US equities using a quarterly earnings-based quant model – has generated positive returns from IT and internet positions, and now sees US markets firmly in “risk on” territory.
Activist-focused managers comfortably outperformed other strategy types last month, as the hedge fund industry continues to recover from the Covid-19 turmoil with solid August gains and positive year-to-date returns, new eVestment data shows.
A number of high-profile hedge funds are again ramping up bets against UK supermarket giant Sainsbury’s.
Hedge funds betting against Tesla have suffered their worst monthly hit yet, with negative wagers bringing a hefty USD9.5 billion of losses to short sellers in August – but recent turbulence in Elon Musk’s mega-cap electric carmaker this week may yet offer future hope for bearish investors.
By Donald A Steinbrugge (pictured), CFA, Founder and CEO, Agecroft Partners – The hedge fund industry is dynamic, comprising numerous strategies that attract varying degrees of interest over time. Demand for each strategy is impacted by many variables including capital market valuations, expectations of economic growth, market liquidity and risk appetite among others.